As we sat down to lunch, she looked tired. I asked her why was she so tired.
"I could not sleep these few days." She told me. "Phoebe did not want to sleep in her room and wanted to sleep in her parents' room instead."
When I asked her why, she said, "Phoebe said there is a man in her room."
"What?!" I was stunned.
"She said the man would appear once in a while. She could see his face and the shirt he's wearing."
"Really?" I did not want to sound skeptical, but I really found it hard to digest, despite my beliefs in such things.
"She is scared and won't dare to sleep alone in her room." Esther continued.
"Have you seen it yourself?" I asked.
"No. But I saw him for the first time yesterday. And it freaked me out!"
My hair was standing when I heard her say this.
"How does he look like?" I asked.
"Oh, please don't ask me to describe. All I know is he does not look normal. I mean, one look at him, and you know he's a dead person!"
"Oh my God, that's so scary! Did your husband see him too?"
"No, and I have not told him yet!"
"Why not? You should!"
"Maybe later, I am thinking how to tell him without making him panic. You see, my husband is not fond of horror movies and I think he's more scared of ghosts than me!"
I could not help letting out a little nervous giggle. "But surely, he knows about what Phoebe saw, right?"
"Yes," Esther said "Phoebe comes into our room almost every night so yes, he knows but he tells Phoebe it's just her imagination. At first I thought it's just one of her many dreams, but it can't be happening every night. Besides, I saw him too!"
"You are really freaking me out, Esther!" I exclaimed.
"You saw the man in your room?" I asked, trying not to use the word 'ghost'.
"No, in Phoebe's room. Yesterday, I wanted to accompany Phoebe to sleep in her room so she would not disturb us. I think it was almost midnight. Both my son and my husband were already asleep. I was lying down beside Phoebe, when she suddenly pulled my hand and said she want to go to our bedroom.
I was almost asleep at that time and her pulling woke me up instantly. It was then, I noticed a presence beside me. I looked up and saw him starring down at us! Oh my God, I almost screamed! I think I felt a little faint at that moment like all the blood in my body had been drained off.
Luckily I kept my composure. I pretended I did not see him, but my heart was beating like mad! I avoided looking at him and faced my daughter instead. She also avoided looking at him and kept whispering to me she wanted to go to my bedroom.
Slowly, I forced myself to sit up. I hoped I could just close my eyes and hide under the blanket! I told Phoebe to follow me to my bedroom. All this while, that thing was there looking at us. Or that's what I thought cos I did not dare look at him!
We walked slowly out of the room and then bolted towards my bedroom! Once inside my bedroom, I locked the door! Although I know that's pretty useless."
I could feel a chill running up my spine as my friend described her story.
"What about Michael?" I asked referring to her son. "He sleeps alone in his own room, right? Did he see him too?"
"No, he had not mentioned about it to me, so I don't think so." Esther replied.
"So this man - he never ever appeared in your room, only Phoebe's room?" I asked, curious.
"Yes, so far only in Phoebe's room. Oh, sometimes Phoebe said she sees him in the kitchen too. I really don't know what to do. But so far, he has not disturbed us. I mean, he did not create any trouble. According to a friend of mine, he may just be a harmless ghost still trapped in this world."
"Or maybe he cannot leave yet as he still has things he needs to do."
"Oh! You make it sound as if I am Melinda Gordon!" Esther laughed, obviously referring to that character played by Jennifer Love Hewitt who sees and helps ghosts in Ghost Whisperer.
We both laughed but I hardly thought it was a laughing matter. I had wanted to talk some more, but that was the only time we had. It was a short lunch time for us so we had to stop there. In any case, Esther's story ended up haunting me for the rest of that day!
Last night, I received a call from Esther. She mentioned that her friend who stayed a few streets from her house also saw the ghost. But the friend did not see the ghost in Esther's house. Instead, she saw it in her own home!!
I was shocked.
"Are you sure it's the same ghost?" I asked, getting nervous.
"Yes, from what she described to me, I knew it's the same ghost!"
"But how? I mean, why would he go over to your friend's house? And it's not that near to your house!" I was puzzled.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"I think he can transport himself through the phone."
"What?" She did not make any sense to me.
"You see, I am always calling my friend on her handphone using my handphone. Somehow, I think the ghost can adjust his frequency level to travel along the frequency level of the mobile phone line."
"You must be kidding." I said, not believing her at all. "You mean the ghost can travel anywhere using your phone?"
"Yes, that's what I suspect. Because the ghost also appeared in my cousin's house. And my cousin stays in Penang! I have been calling my cousin the past few days on my handphone."
"Haha! That sounds like science fiction to me!" I said laughing. "By the way, I notice you are using DIGI."
I suddenly stopped laughing. "I am using DIGI too. Wait...where are you calling from?"
"My house."
Oh. My. God!!!
Note: That last part about the ghost traveling through mobile phone lines is a total fiction which I made up just for fun! Haha! But let me assure you, the rest of the story is true. I have changed my friend's name to protect her privacy. In any case, I have absolutely no plans to visit my friend's house now or in the future!
PS: The 7 Stages Of Disease (Part 2) had been put off as I was too eager to tell this ghost story. It will be in my next post coming right up!